


Suggestion

by Minuete



Series: Advent Calendar Prompts [10]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Advent Calendar, Angst, Day 10, Episode: s04e23 Demons, F/M, Ice Skating, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 18:13:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16938213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minuete/pseuds/Minuete
Summary: Mulder and Scully drive to Greenwich to visit his mom after the events of Demons.





	Suggestion

**Author's Note:**

> From Tumblr only-txf-fanart’s Philes Cmas Advent Calendar Prompt day 10: ice skating
> 
> I had every intention of having made this fluff, paralleling The Unnatural scene. It didn’t happen.

Once the bloodwork confirmed the ketamine was out of his system, and MRI scans revealed normal brain activity, Mulder asked Scully if she would like to accompany him to his mother’s house over the weekend. Scully slightly hesitated before mentioning offhandedly that she had a CT scan appointment on Sunday.

“Perhaps this trip will better take your mind off it, Scully,” Mulder bit his tongue. _How do you take your mind off of a tumor lodged in your nasal cavity?_ He swung by Scully’s apartment to pick her up en route to Greenwich early Saturday morning. She kept her trench coat on when she seated herself in the passenger seat, despite the mild spring weather. Mulder glanced over at Scully noticing the dark shadows around her eyes her foundation didn’t entirely cover. He didn’t say anything as she rested her head against the headrest; he was grateful she decided to join. The 4.5-hour trek passed by rather quickly, with a mixture of companionable silence and light-hearted bantering. Neither of them wanted to address her health status; when Mulder cranked up the heater in his car when he saw her shiver, whenever Scully habitually dabbed her nose with a tissue to reveal...nothing.

  
His mother greeted the two of them at the door, placing a quick peck on Mulder’s cheek, and asking for Scully’s coat to hang. Scully revealed her casual dress attire the first time that day, wearing a simple dark blue, V-cut button-down cardigan that loosely draped over her slender form and a pair of Calvin Klein Jeans. He must have been gaping because she gave him an amused look. His mother ushered them to the dining room for the lunch she prepared. It felt awkward having the two most important women in his life seated across each other at the dining room table having lunch altogether. He didn’t realize how stilted the conversations with his mother usually went until he saw Scully’s discomfort at the whole exchange. She said nothing as she politely listened to his mother update him on the latest news of the community while picking at the tomato salad in front of her.

  
“Fox, why don’t you help me bring out the main course?” His mother cued him to accompany her into the kitchen taking the salad plates leaving Scully sitting alone. He glanced over at Scully and shot her an appreciative smile before heading for the kitchen.

  
“Miss Scully seems nice,” she said after a beat of silence passed while she scooped a hearty serving of ham and corn risotto onto pasta bowls she set on a countertop nearby the stove.

  
“Of course, she is. She’s a saint for having to put up with me,” he muttered as they traded pasta bowls.

“Why don’t you take her to the ice rink after lunch?” Mulder snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Mom, I haven’t gone ice skating since high school.”

  
“You ice skated a few times during the winter with that one girl, Robin. She’s settled down and married with three kids now.”

  
“Good for her,” he mumbled, vaguely recalling the handful of dates he had at the ice-skating rink. “We plan to head back to DC after lunch, Mom. She…” he trailed off not wanting to mention Scully’s follow-up appointment scheduled, “she has plans tomorrow.”

  
“And she agreed to join you to visit me on her one free day? Oh, Fox…” she sighed ruefully.

  
“Look—Mom— I came here to apologize for my actions that last time. I shouldn’t have thrown accusations at you.” Without waiting for a response, Mulder grabbed two of the three pasta bowls and returned to the dining room to see it completely deserted. His breath hitched, quickly surveying the living room, until he saw Scully reappear from the hallway. He relaxed and placed the pasta bowls down on the table.

  
“Hey, bon appetit, Scully.”

  
“Thank you. I thought it was a good time to use the restroom.” They sat in unison in their respective chairs. Before Mulder could ask if she was okay, his mother returned from the kitchen with her pasta bowl. The second half of lunch went more smoothly as his mother geared questions towards Scully. He forgot how good a conversationalist his mother could be, just not with him. Lunch over, kitchen tidied Mulder bid farewell to his mother hugging her again in the foyer while Scully put on her coat.

“Remember what I suggested,” his mother whispered against his ear before waving goodbye.

  
“Mulder, where are we going?” Scully asked when he passed the onramp to the highway.

  
“Somewhere that reminds me of my childhood,” he answered. Minutes later, he pulled into the Dorothy Hamill Ice Rink parking lot. He glanced over at Scully who had a slight smile play on her lips. “How are you on skates, Scully?”

  
It turned out Scully was a fairly decent skater, despite having not skated since middle school. There was the occasional elbow reaches on his part to steady her balance, but they kept a respectable distance as they glided in the middle of the ice rink, careful to dodge the ice-skating children and a couple of groups taking lessons.

“This is nice, Mulder. Thanks for sharing with me a childhood haunt of yours,” Scully said facing him, skating backward in the process. She grabbed his left hand with her right and had him twirl her around, her trench coat flaring in the process. “Ta-da, my pirouetting skills.” He chuckled.

  
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. My mom suggested I take you here since I took up your free day today.” Scully let go of his hand, frowning. He realized he’d said the wrong thing.

  
“Oh, so you’re saying this is a reward for me choosing to spend time with you?” she stopped skating, eyes downcast. “Mulder, I’m not a charity case. Did it occur to you that I chose to join you on this trip to witness the resolution of that horrible incident in the mental state you were in? That this trip was a means to end?”

  
“Scully--” Their conversation was interrupted by two bright red drops of blood splattered on the ice.

 

 

 


End file.
